Planning permission granted for new Lubbesthorpe

Permission for a major new housing development in Lubbesthorpe comprising of 4,250 homes has been granted.

Blaby District Council has now concluded the legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act to secure over £40 million of infrastructure so that the new community will be sustainable.

This includes affordable housing, highway improvements, education, healthcare, and library provision, community facilities and open space.

Plans for the development were originally approved by Councillors on 1 November 2012, where the planning application was then referred to the Secretary of State.

On 5 March 2013 Eric Pickles confirmed he was not calling in the application and the Council could proceed to issue the decision, subject to a number of conditions and completion of the complex legal agreement to secure items such as new schools, road improvements and other necessary infrastructure.

The Lubbesthorpe development will include a package of transport improvements, improved bus service, a secondary school and two primary schools, a health centre, work space, as well as community and leisure facilities.

The new village centre will encourage a strong sense of community from an early stage and reduce residents’ need to travel to access services and employment.

The construction of a bridge over the M1 that will link Leicester with the development, expected to start in April 2014, will ease congestion and reduce the impact of traffic on Beggars Lane/A47 by providing direct access from the outer ring road.

The bridge will make sure that much-needed homes in the Leicestershire area can be delivered at an early stage along with new infrastructure provision. Without the bridge the number of homes accessible in the first phase of the development would be limited to 300.

Councillor Ernie White, Leader of Blaby District Council, said:

“Across the district there is a need to provide lots more housing to meet the needs of our population and Lubbesthorpe allows us to do this in the best possible way for everyone.

“It will bring affordable houses to help our young people, extra care facilities for our older people, job opportunities and significant infrastructure such as schools, community facilities, transport improvements, and a very high percentage of public open space. It is in the most sustainable location in the district, and enables us to provide a scale of infrastructure that is not possible with lots of smaller developments.

“Lubbesthorpe gives us the chance to build a brand new vibrant community from scratch. We have set up a Community Consultative Board including partners from neighbouring parishes so that Lubbesthorpe is delivered in a way that adds value to the whole of Blaby District.”